Simon Cowell in ‘secret talks’ with BBC over show proposal

Simon Cowell is reported to have had secret discussions with BBC One controller Danny Cohen over an idea for a new Saturday night drama.

Simon Cowell has reportedly been speaking to the BBC about an idea for a new drama (Picture: ITV)

The Britain’s Got Talent mogul is said to have approached the corporation after telling friends he felt ‘betrayed’ by ITV, just days after the network poached Syco executive Shu Green to work on their entertainment shows.

And he suggested his idea to Cohen after ringing him to congratulate him on the success of The Voice UK.

‘He said he had a brilliant idea for a drama and then outlined it,’ a source told the Mirror.

‘He’s gone off to do a proposal and it will be treated like any other idea from an independent production company.

‘If it’s brilliant then great,’ the insider added, ‘We’ll see a treatment then get it developed in the normal way.’

Cowell reportedly felt undermined by ITV when it came to rehiring Gary Barlow for The X Factor (Picture: PA)

Cowell was reportedly furious after Green – who has worked on such shows as The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent – decided to make the move to ITV, with one ITV source saying: ‘If she can help us create great new formats for entertainment and talent shows, then we needn’t rely on Cowell so much.’

And according to Tom Bower, who penned the controversial biography Sweet Revenge, Cowell felt ITV was ‘unsupportive’, after they overruled him on the rehiring of Gary Barlow as an X Factor judge.

However a BBC source said that a commission of the reported idea was ‘a long way off’.

‘We’re happy to walk but there’s a feeling we could be used in Cowell’s ongoing war against ITV,’ the insider said. ‘Danny doesn’t want to be played off by Cowell.’